Why is it now so difficult to inform Microsoft of a potential prob

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Guest

I'm not talking about seeking their help, I'm talking about passing
potentially useful info back up the line. They used to be good with this,
now it seems like a nightmare to do them any favours.

Anyway, in case they read this, there's a problem with your XP Home
authentication (as well as problems with critical updates related to XP media
addition 2005 too, for that matter, anyway, I digress).

I built a machine today, and put OEM XP Home (inc service pack 2) on it. I
didn't register it, because I am not sure if it is for the clients daughter
to take to University or for the client herself. So I just authenticated it
so I could get all the security updates etc done for them.

After a reboot a couple of hours down the line, I have a popup flash to
inform me that due to the extensive amount of changed hardware in the system,
XP Home needs to be re-authenticated within the next three days.

This is not 3 hours since the machine is built, and NO hardware whatsoever
has been changed! Who knows, maybe a gnat farted somewhere over the horizon,
eh?

I can confirm that no hardware changed, because I built the damned hardware
and installed your OS myself!

That says your authentication process is completely and utterly 'fubared'.
That says you need to look at it. That says you shouldn't be putting
'obstacles' in the way of people informing you for your benefit (your damned
system tried to charge me 37 quid + to let 'YOU' know that 'YOU' have a
problem??? - how about paying me that instead? Hmmmm?).

You ALSO definitely have a problem with some of your security update files,
because the system I was called to yesterday (referred to at the start),
suffered catastrophic crashes after downloading YOUR security updates, after
having run solidly for months without a hitch. That's a solid machine
compatibility wise running Media Centre Edition 2005 (at least I can report
that your Security Updates didn't break the XP home edition installation when
I updated that). You cost my clients time and money, you cost ME time and
money, and you then try and charge 'ME' for the pleasure?

I think you guys are losing the plot.

I really do.
 
Somebody, perhaps you or an employee has used that OEM PK
before and on a different machine, that's my guess.



--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm



message
| I'm not talking about seeking their help, I'm talking
about passing
| potentially useful info back up the line. They used to be
good with this,
| now it seems like a nightmare to do them any favours.
|
| Anyway, in case they read this, there's a problem with
your XP Home
| authentication (as well as problems with critical updates
related to XP media
| addition 2005 too, for that matter, anyway, I digress).
|
| I built a machine today, and put OEM XP Home (inc service
pack 2) on it. I
| didn't register it, because I am not sure if it is for the
clients daughter
| to take to University or for the client herself. So I just
authenticated it
| so I could get all the security updates etc done for them.
|
| After a reboot a couple of hours down the line, I have a
popup flash to
| inform me that due to the extensive amount of changed
hardware in the system,
| XP Home needs to be re-authenticated within the next three
days.
|
| This is not 3 hours since the machine is built, and NO
hardware whatsoever
| has been changed! Who knows, maybe a gnat farted somewhere
over the horizon,
| eh?
|
| I can confirm that no hardware changed, because I built
the damned hardware
| and installed your OS myself!
|
| That says your authentication process is completely and
utterly 'fubared'.
| That says you need to look at it. That says you shouldn't
be putting
| 'obstacles' in the way of people informing you for your
benefit (your damned
| system tried to charge me 37 quid + to let 'YOU' know that
'YOU' have a
| problem??? - how about paying me that instead? Hmmmm?).
|
| You ALSO definitely have a problem with some of your
security update files,
| because the system I was called to yesterday (referred to
at the start),
| suffered catastrophic crashes after downloading YOUR
security updates, after
| having run solidly for months without a hitch. That's a
solid machine
| compatibility wise running Media Centre Edition 2005 (at
least I can report
| that your Security Updates didn't break the XP home
edition installation when
| I updated that). You cost my clients time and money, you
cost ME time and
| money, and you then try and charge 'ME' for the pleasure?
|
| I think you guys are losing the plot.
|
| I really do.
 
Rastech said:
I'm not talking about seeking their help, I'm talking about passing
potentially useful info back up the line. They used to be good with this,
now it seems like a nightmare to do them any favours.

Anyway, in case they read this, there's a problem with your XP Home
authentication (as well as problems with critical updates related to XP media
addition 2005 too, for that matter, anyway, I digress).

I built a machine today, and put OEM XP Home (inc service pack 2) on it. I
didn't register it, because I am not sure if it is for the clients daughter
to take to University or for the client herself. So I just authenticated it
so I could get all the security updates etc done for them.

After a reboot a couple of hours down the line, I have a popup flash to
inform me that due to the extensive amount of changed hardware in the system,
XP Home needs to be re-authenticated within the next three days.

This is not 3 hours since the machine is built, and NO hardware whatsoever
has been changed! Who knows, maybe a gnat farted somewhere over the horizon,
eh?

I can confirm that no hardware changed, because I built the damned hardware
and installed your OS myself!

That says your authentication process is completely and utterly 'fubared'.
That says you need to look at it. That says you shouldn't be putting
'obstacles' in the way of people informing you for your benefit (your damned
system tried to charge me 37 quid + to let 'YOU' know that 'YOU' have a
problem??? - how about paying me that instead? Hmmmm?).

You ALSO definitely have a problem with some of your security update files,
because the system I was called to yesterday (referred to at the start),
suffered catastrophic crashes after downloading YOUR security updates, after
having run solidly for months without a hitch. That's a solid machine
compatibility wise running Media Centre Edition 2005 (at least I can report
that your Security Updates didn't break the XP home edition installation when
I updated that). You cost my clients time and money, you cost ME time and
money, and you then try and charge 'ME' for the pleasure?

I think you guys are losing the plot.

I really do.
Click to expand...


First of all, this is not Microsoft and it is very seldom that you
ever find actual Microsoft employees posting here. So if your
comments were intended to reach Microsoft you have used the wrong
venue.

As for the activation issue you describe that is indeed troublesome
and highly unusual. I cannot recall ever having read about a similar
incident previously. Perhaps if you read the article on Windows
Activation by the late Alex Nichol MVP at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm it might give you some hints as to the
cause. One possible suspect would be a BIOS update, as this might
have changed how Windows identified certain hardware components? Did
you update the BIOS in the computer after Windows was installed?

Your other comments about security updates are extremely vague, so
much so that it is impossible to do anything about identifying the
specific updates that seem to have caused your problems. While there
have been issues with some Microsoft Updates in the past (as there
have been with virtually every other software company at some time or
other) there have not been any recent ones that I am aware that
resemble in any way the symptoms that you describe. If you can
provide some specific details it may be possible to delve more deeply
into the matter.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Rastech said:
I'm not talking about seeking their help, I'm talking about passing
potentially useful info back up the line. They used to be good with
this,
now it seems like a nightmare to do them any favours.

Anyway, in case they read this, there's a problem with your XP Home
authentication (as well as problems with critical updates related to
XP media
addition 2005 too, for that matter, anyway, I digress).

I built a machine today, and put OEM XP Home (inc service pack 2) on
it. I
didn't register it, because I am not sure if it is for the clients
daughter
to take to University or for the client herself. So I just
authenticated it
so I could get all the security updates etc done for them.

After a reboot a couple of hours down the line, I have a popup flash
to
inform me that due to the extensive amount of changed hardware in the
system,
XP Home needs to be re-authenticated within the next three days.

This is not 3 hours since the machine is built, and NO hardware
whatsoever
has been changed! Who knows, maybe a gnat farted somewhere over the
horizon,
eh?

I can confirm that no hardware changed, because I built the damned
hardware
and installed your OS myself!
Click to expand...


Did you change the hardware driver(s)?

If you install new drivers, even if just new versions, that is how the
OS sees the hardware. Changing the drivers changes the view the OS has
of the hardware, so it can look like new hardware.

By the way, NEVER install the drivers presented by Microsoft's Windows
Update. Instead go to the manufacturer's web site and download THEIR
latest driver for your hardware.
 
I build many computers and I have leant that once the OS has been installed
it's best to update or install all the hardware drivers that come with the
motherboard before you activate windows, you can also update the divers from
windows update without activating windows first by doing it via device
manager.
 
So, the order to do this is what I do.

1. Format and install Windows XP SP-2
2. Run driver installation from motherboard CD
3. Activate Windows
4. Run Windows Update
5. Install other software (excluding AV)
6. Install AV last.
 

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